House Speaker John Boehner once said he’d rather kill himself than vote for a “clean” increase in the minimum wage, a White House economist claims Republicans haven’t been willing to negotiate with President Barack Obama, Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein explains “patriotic giving,” and more must-reads for your Friday.

Here’s one sign that standards for U.S. lawmakers and the economy may be too low. When asked Thursday about hopes for the coming year, Jason Furman, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, said the U.S. should stop lurching from crisis to crisis.